Terroir Insight: Domaine d’Auvenay, Bonnes Mares

The Domaine d’Auvenay Bonnes Mares is are rare but very costly bird – elusive and a bit overlooked due to the limited production and high price.

Domaine d’Auvenay a bit of background

Mme Lalou Bize-Leroy is the leading lady of Burgundy – originating from the very prestigious Maison Leroy, that was founded by her great-grandfather Francois Leroy in 1868 – although he was selling wines already back in 1851.

His son Joseph Leroy expanded the business, and his grandson Henri Leroy acquired a large share of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti in 1942 from Jacques Chambon – and became co-owner with the de Villaine family.

In 1988 Mme Bize-Leroy founded a new estate – Domaine Leroy – now one of the most prominent estates in Burgundy.

Just a two years later in 1990, Mme Bize-Leroy took over her fathers house and estate Domaine d’Auvenay, as she acquired the share of her older sister, Pauline Roch (1929 – 2009), and began to expand the estate with vineyards both in Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune – reds and white – creating a boutique estate alongside Domaine Leroy and Maison Leroy.

With a large share in DRC, Domaine Leroy and Domaine d’Auvenay – Mme Bize-Leroy is a both prominent and dominant force in Burgundy – owning plots in almost all the top Grand Cru vineyards in Burgundy – from Montrachet via the Grand Crus of Vosne-Romanée to Musigny, Bonnes-Mares and Chambertin.

Bonnes Mares – the darker side of Chambolle Musigny

Bonnes Mares is sort of the “dark side” of Chambolle-Musigny, a vineyard that represents a hybrid between Chambolle and Morey – a vineyard that sometimes is somewhat overlooked when compared with the mighty Musigny.

Bonnes Mares is 15.05 ha – hence almost 40% larger than Musigny – and is located in both Chambolle Musigny and Morey-Saint-Denis. The main part is in Chambolle-Musigny – north of the village and Les Fuées – and only 1.52 ha is located in the Morey appellation – just south of Clos de Tart.

Bonnes Mares begins at the southern end of Clos de Tart – actually there is a part of Bonnes Mares located within the enclosed walls of Clos de Tart – and this part is now a part of Clos de Tart, although it’s named Bonnes Mares in the official cadastre maps.

Bonnes Mares continues from Clos des Tart to Chambolle Musigny Les Fuées and the village part of Chambolle Musigny Les Cras, with the top of the slope not being a part of Bonnes Mares, but either village or the 1er cru part of Chambolle-Musigny Les Véroilles (the 1er cru is a monopole owned by Domaine Ghislaine Barthod).

You need to login as a Premium subscriber to read the rest of this article. If you are not a Premium subscriber, use the subscribe function and sign-up.